Chusetts



H. SWINGLEHURST.

me MACHINE NEEDLE Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY SWINGLEHURST, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 SCOTT AND WILLIAMS INQ, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- GHU'SETTS.

KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLE-DIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY SWINGLE- IIURSI, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Orange, 1n the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machine Needle- Dials, of which the following is a specifi cation.

In circular knitting machines, it has long been a common practice to slidably mount the knitting needles in grooves formed in a cylinder and to retain such needles in place by the use of an encircling elastic spring band, but so far as I am aware, such bands have been restricted to needle carriers of cylindrical form.

The value of such an elastic band, apart from its function of retaining the needles in place in the bottom of their grooves, resides in the fact that all needles or other implements so retained may be individually sprung outwardly for the purpose of ready removal or replacement, and if, for any reason, during the knittin operation, the implements are displaced accidentally from any cause, such as, for instance, a large lump or bunch in the yarn being fed to them, the elasticity imparted to them through the agency of the spring band tends to instantly return them to their normal Working position.

It is well known in the art that in the production of ribbed fabric, two needle carriers are employed; one, cylindrical in form, the other in the shape of a radially slotted dial, which is usually in the form of a horizontal flat disk mounted within the limits of the circle of needles carried by the cylinder, but it sometimes is in the form of a fiat ring around the outside of the ring of cylinder needles. And in some instances, knitting machines are made with needle dials without cooperating cylinder needles. So far as I am aware, no way has heretofore been devised for elastically holding the knit ting implements in the slots or grooves of such a dial. The object of my invention is to provide means for that purpose.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of suiiicient of the dial of a knitting machine to illustrate my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are views of forms of knitting implements, in connection with which my invention is especially useful;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of part of a dial showing a modification;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding partial plan view.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the flat needle dial which is to be carried by a central spindle or stud at S. This dial has an annular rib R radially slotted to receive and guide the bodies of the knitting imple ments in their radial movements inwardly and outwardly, such movements being produced by cam grooves in a suitable dial cam D in any usual or convenient way.

In the drawing I have shown the knitting implements as needles N without the commonly used pivoted latches, but in place thereof, with sliding latches or jacks n, the detailed construction of which forms no part of my present invention. In the construction shown each needle has a bit 7 working in a cam groove 6 of the cam dial D, while each aek 'n also has its bit 9 Working in a separate cam groove 8 in the cam dial, so that the jack may have a sliding movement longitudinally of the needle to open and close the hook of the latter in the appropriate and known way. As shown in F igs. 2 and 3, the jack may be mounted to slide upon the top of the needle shank with a V-shaped bearing for a part of the length of the shank.

In order to hold these or any other suitable knitting implements in their dial grooves, I have provided the dial with a beveled or undercut shoulder F, preferably at the outer circumference of the annular rib R in which the radial guiding grooves are cut for the bodies of the knitting implements. Into the annular undercut thus formed I spring an elastic band B of coiled wire, such as has heretofore been employed to hold the needles in a knitting cylinder, and by reason of the tendency of the band to contract against the inclined or cam-like face of the shoulder, elastic pressure is exerted downwardly upon the shanks of the knitting implements to keep them in their grooves. In the case illustrated, this pressure is exerted upon the jacks as Well as the needles, and the elastic pressure is thus use-- ful not only in tending to keep the knitting implements in the bottoms of their guiding grooves, but also in keeping each jack in proper relation to its needle. It must be understood, however, that my invention is not restricted to use with needles with sliding jacks, but is also advantageous for use with needles having pivoted latches or other forms of knitting needles.

In Fig. 1 I have indicated the spring band B as hearing directly u on the shanks of the knitting implements, ut an intermediate hearing piece or pieces may be provided, and in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown bearing pieces I) in the form of sectors (Fig. with lap joints b to form a complete ring, the inner sides of the sectional ring thus produced being beveled to bear against the beveled shoulder, while the outer face of the sectional ring is grooved to receive the elastic band (Fig. 4.)

I claim as my invention:

1. A knitting machine dial carrying knitting implements and provided with an in clined shoulder and a spring band in combination with said shoulder to apply elastic pressure to the knitting implements.

2. A knitting machine dial carrying knitting implements and provided with an inclined sioulder, a spring hand in combination with said shoulder to apply elastic pressure to the knitting im lements, and a bearin piece between the e astic band and the knitting implements.

3. A knitting machine dial carrying knit ting implements and provided with an inclined shoulder, a spring band in combination with said shoulder to apply elastic pressure to the knitting implements and a sectional bearing ring between the elasticloand, the undercut shoulder and the knitting i1nplements.

4. A knitting machine dial carrying knitting needles with sliding jacks, the dial be ing provided with an inclined shoulder, and a sprin band in combination therewith to apply 0 astie pressure to the jacks as well as the needles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY SWINGLEHURST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

